Abstract

Genetic studies noted that the Hungarian Y-chromosomal gene pool significantly differs from other Uralic-speaking populations. Hungarians show very limited or no presence of haplogroup N-Tat, which is frequent among other Uralic-speaking populations. We proposed that some genetic links need to be observed between the linguistically related Hungarian and Mansi populations.This is the first attempt to divide haplogroup N-Tat into subhaplogroups by testing new downstream SNP markers L708 and L1034. Sixty Northern Mansi samples were collected in Western Siberia and genotyped for Y-chromosomal haplotypes and haplogroups. We found 14 Mansi and 92 N-Tat samples from 7 populations. Comparative results showed that all N-Tat samples carried the N-L708 mutation. Some Hungarian, Sekler, and Uzbek samples were L1034 SNP positive, while all Mongolians, Buryats, Khanty, Finnish, and Roma samples yielded a negative result for this marker. Based on the above, L1034 marker seems to be a subgroup of N-Tat, which is typical for Mansi and Hungarian-speaking ethnic groups so far. Based on our time to most recent common ancestor data, the L1034 marker arose 2,500 years before present. The overall frequency of the L1034 is very low among the analyzed populations, thus it does not necessarily mean that proto-Hungarians and Mansi descend from common ancestors. It does provide, however, a limited genetic link supporting language contact. Both Hungarians and Mansi have much more complex genetic population history than the traditional tree-based linguistic model would suggest.

Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all of the Mansi and Finnish donors for their involvement in this study. We say special thanks to Pasi Tuominen, Ambassador of Finland to Hungary, Réka Hernádi and Johanna Nurmikari, leading Finnish teachers for involving the Finnish community living in Hungary in the project. We also give special thanks to the Ministry of Human Resources (Hungary), and the Reguly Association (organization for specialists of Finno-Ugric Studies) for the support of organizing the expedition to Western Siberia. Furthermore, we are indebted to Bálint Kacsóh, Nándor Dreisziger, Imre Bokor, Levente Molnár, and Anikó Szilágyi, who also supported our project financially. We would like, especially, to thank Dr. Eva Susa (General Director of the Network of Forensic Science Institutes) for her support and Bettyjean Sigethy for the English editing and also thank all sample donors and laboratory assistants.